Fade into the horizon
by atska100
Summary: Ren Fray, an middle aged pirate who awaits his execution in a gloomy prison cell, get's a change to reflect in to his past in a form of a memoir, after an old friend gives him a last wish. What started his life as a pirate and how it came to an end? Warning: Mature content, crack ships, dirty humor and violence!


Chapter 1.

 **So I'm sorry this is so late, I had some tests and essays to worry about. So this is basically a reboot of the _'From navy blue to_ _black of a pirate flag'_ , before starting I want to apologize discontinuing the story. I had a lot of real life shenanigans and I just couldn't work on it anymore, due to loosing interest in writing and the fact I came to think it's really cliche. **

**So Here's the new version! And it has way more angst...Enjoy and feel free to write criticism.**

Ren looked somberly at his jail cell's barred window and let the early bright of the day enfold his features. The brisk autumn air made the cells walls frosty, yet he appreciated the ease of breathing that the air condoned for him. He could spot the reddish treetops outside of his cell and the clear blue sky.

Ren sighed and closed his coppery eyes that had few lines under them marking his face with his life of 37 years. Nearly four decades and for him that was a good outcome . Honestly, he had expected to die before his 18th birthday.

He listened the small rustling of the trees and smiled as he heard joyful voices of harvest happening far by the hills he had seen when he had been brought here. He sensed how a small bird landed onto a nearby branch.

Oh, How he missed the sound of the waves and the distant horizon he could see every second when he had been at the sea. The noisy seagulls in the sky and the salty scent of the wind. The freedom of being at the sea having no hurry going any where, he missed those things gravely.

He could practically see the mast of the former ship he used to sail… Until those bastards…

"NO! PLEASE!"

His daydreaming was interrupted by panicked scream, that ran trough the eerie atmosphere of the prison.

Ren breathed out and turned his attention towards the hallway, where two marines were dragging away a chained prisoner, younger than him for sure… Ren chuckled, why were the young ones always on the hurry… That's what happens when you hurry too much. You get caught.

The youngster kicked and screamed for mercy, but it all fell to deaf ears as the two 'monkeys' in suits dragged him away from his cell and started taking him away.

The racket continued to the deepest end of the hallway and out of the twin doors.

Ren just sat still, listening…

For solid amount of minutes it was the usual sounds, the birds on the sky, the other inmates chatting among themselves and the clattering of the chains.

Then the youngster's desperate voice rang outside and somebody started to speak his final judgment. The blabbering continued until a rather familiar voice shouted a simple command:

"Fire!"

And then numerous gun shots carried to his ears and everyone in the prison fell quiet.

He was the next one in the line to shake the hand with the grim reaper. Well, nothing could be said or done to justify his actions over the years.

The silence crept around the room for several hours. No one said a word… Yet Ren didn't find that all that displeasing. The other inmates were too chatty for their own good, he had heard over the hours some pretty important information slip from multiple mouths, that would really help the marines.

A loud creak echoed trough the prison and Ren recognized it as the heavy main door opening. His suspicion was quickly confirmed as he heard several steps closing in.

Ren's eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice behind his back. He turned his head around and saw a rather nostalgic face.

Ren smiled as his eyes met with familiar gray ones. He chuckled and said "Hey Saul, has been a long time hasn't it?"

The marine nodded and said in a calm yet weirdly strict voice"23 years in fact."

Ren looked at Saul, seeing how much the man had changed over the years… many wrinkles, scars and gray hairs. Yet the same stick in the mud attitude still with him along all of those years.

"Wow, Saul you haven't aged well." Ren gave a sheepish grin and chuckled.

The marine sighed in irritation "I really hoped you would have grown out of that smart mouth of yours..."

Ren chuckled and said "Sorry, not gonna happen."

Saul stared at him in silence and Ren saw a lump forming in Saul's throat, who after a long time finally managed to speak "Ren, due to the circumstances of your actions during the last 23 years you'll be executed october 8th at 7. 30 pm..."

Ren sighed, he didn't really appreciate the fancy marine talk. He was going to die, he didn't really care what he had done in the past. All said and done, no regrets and nothing to do about them.

"Honestly Ren, Do you have any idea how many crimes you've committed over the years?" Saul grunted in wrathful frustration. Ren just meekly shrugged and said with a smug face "Enlighten me."

Saul looked pulled out a folder from his jacket and started reading it out loud: "Ren Fray, Age 37, You have been proven to be part of numerous frauds, assaults, cases of public indecency...You've raided about 15 ships, been held accountable for 3 murders and several years worth of piracy. Quite the list, isn't it?"

Ren kept his smug grin and gave a bold reply " So are you here to mock me in my final moments or what?"

Saul looked at him with somber eyes and said "No… I just- I know it doesn't mean much now, but we were friends." Saul sighed and massaged his fore head "So, Any last wishes?"

Ren chuckled with no mirth and said "Wow, that's really nice of you… now tell me how much they pay you after my head fells of my shoulders."

Saul sighed and just continued as he saw no need to complicate things "So, any last wishes? I'm not going to give you another change..."

Ren pouted and started to think about it. Last wish, what would he want in this late in his life? He stared at the ceiling trying to think of something. He had never wanted much from life. He just lived one day at a time, never really gave thought what he would want, just went forward.

Then a small glimpse of childhood crossed his mind from the time he didn't know about what was happening in the world around him.

 _The sky was blue, the waves hit against the rock on the shore and the leaves rustled gently as they were caressed by the gentle summer breeze._

 _Ren remembered when he was sitting on his mothers lap, looking at the pier_ _where the old house cat was trying to catch some fish…. Then he heard his mother ask him "Hey sweet_ _ie,_ _what do you want to do when you are grown up?" He just looked up at her meeting her gentle eyes and practically screamed with excitement "I wanna writ' a book !"_ _He still remembered how his mother smiled at him after_ _that and said as she caressed his messy hair" Oh, what would_ _it be about?"_

" _I dunno… but it ain't gonna be poetry!"_

 _His mom giggled and asked "What's wrong with poetry? "_

" _Daddy says that poetry is for sissies!" Ren answered while giving a small childish pout_

 _His mom giggled and pulled Ren to an embrace. Ren huffed and asked "When's daddy gonna come back?"_

" _Next week if the weather allows it..."_

Ren smiled and said: "Yes actually… Give me the tools to write a book."

Saul jumped in surprise and said "Well, that's unusual. Usually people ask for a smoke or a beer..."

Ren stared at Saul and huffed, watching as the man send the men behind him to get what he needed….

There was only silence between them, yet Ren wanted to say nothing to his old friend… What could he even say in this situation?

So he just waited.

After a while the marines that Saul had said returned with a box, ink and quills and a huge book with simple brown covers. That would do just perfect.

The cell was opened and the brutish looking marines carried the things inside. All the while Saul entered the cell himself.

Ren looked at him a bit confused and stared. "Hey do you really think I'm gonna send someone a message? " He asked with an annoyed grunt. Saul just continued the blatant stare and stated "We can't take no risks considering the crews you have been in."

Ren huffed and reached for the quill and felt it's tip to see if it was up to the task. The tip seemed high-quality and Ren smiled, at least the thing wouldn't break instantly.

So he opened the huge book, looked at the empty page… He smiled bitterly and thought _'_ _at least I'll leave something behind..'_ He dipped the quill in to the ink and wrote the first sentence of his last wish.

 _It all started in a small island in West Blue..._


End file.
